Propelling pencil having an eraser adjustable therein by a screw action



T. KovAcs 3,072,101

HAVING AN ERASER ADJUSTABLE BY A SCREW ACTION a Jan. 5, 1960 Jan. 8; 1963 PROPELLINGTIZ:

United States Patent Ofiicc 3,072,101 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 3,072,101 PROPELLING PENCIL HAVING AN ERASER AD- JUSTABLE 'IHEREIN BY A SCREW ACTION Theodor Kovacs, 19 Nottelmann-Ufer,

Hanover-Buchholz, Germany Filed Jan. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 563 Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 5, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. 120--14.9)

This invention relates to propelling pencils having an eraser disposed in the rearward portion of a lead container and adjustable therein by screw action as the eraser becomes smaller through use. The known propelling pencils of this kind are all more or less complicated. The adjustment of the eraser, which is usually extremely short, is awkward and, furthermore, it is not possible to entirely use up the eraser.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved pencil which, as compared to the known art, is of simple construction and permits the use of an eraser of any length, allowing easy adjustment of the eraser and the complete using-up thereof.

According to the invention, a propelling pencil provided with an eraser adapted to be adjusted in the pencil by screw action as the eraser becomes used is characterized in that the eraser is held by a sleeve positioned in the rearward portion of a lead container, the sleeve being provided with an internal screw-thread, the internal diameter of the sleeve being greater than the diameter of the eraser, a plate provided with an external screw-thread being secured to one end of the eraser and engaging the internal screw-thread of the sleeve.

The propelling pencil according to the present invention has a small dished member disposed in the lead container, this member separating the rearward portion of the lead container from the forward portion thereof that contains the writing lead. The member is provided with a loose handle member to enable it to be pulled out from the lead container for the purpose of replenishing the lead supply.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of the rearward portion of a propelling pencil;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of a sleeve for a pencil with the eraser mounted therein; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation, on a somewhat larger scale, of a dished member and the handle member.

The body of a propelling pencil is shown at 1, with a lead container 2 having leads 3 disposed therein. The container 2 is formed with an internal bead 4 upon which bears a small dished member 5, the member 5 having its open end directed towards the rear or top end of the pencil. The frictional contact of a depression 6 in the wall of the container 2 prevents the member 5 from being displaced within or out of the container. A pin 7 is pushed loosely through the base of the member 5, the pin having a head 8 which engages the inner surface of the base. The forward or bottom end 9 of the pin 7 is fiattened so that the pin cannot be removed from the memher 5. An internally screw-threaded sleeve 10 which is closed at its rearward or top end is pushed into the open rearward or top end of the lead container 2 and is retained in the container by frictional engagement of depressions 11 in the wall of the container with the wall of the sleeve 10, the bottom or forward end of the sleeve resting on the rear or top edge of the member 5. An eraser 12, which may be cylindrical, is disposed within the sleeve 10 and has a diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the internally screw-threaded sleeve. Adhesively secured to the rearward or top end of the eraser 12 is a plate 13 having an external screw-thread which engages the internal screw-thread of the sleeve 10. The eraser 12 is screwed into the sleeve 10 by means of the screw-threaded plate 13.

If the eraser 12 is to be used, the sleeve 10 is drawn out of the container 2, inverted and re-inserted in the container so that the eraser projects rearwardly or upwardly. Since the diameter of the eraser 12 is smaller than the internal diameter of the sleeve 10, the eraser can be rotated in the sleeve 10 without friction and can easily be adjusted therein by screw action, as the eraser is used up, to ensure that the eraser projects from the sleeve. The eraser can then be completely used up.

For the purpose of replenishing the supply of leads, the sleeve 10 together with the eraser 12 is withdrawn from the container 2, the rearward or top end of the pencil is held downwardly so that the loose pin 7 drops whereupon the head 8 of the pin 7 can be grasped and the dished member 5 drawn out of the container, with the flattened end 9 of the pin abutting the outer base surface of member 5. After one or more new leads have been inserted in the pencil, the member 5 is re-inserted into the container 2 and pressed into its position where it rests on the beads 4 and is held frictionally by the depressions 6. The sleeve 10 is then re-inserted. When the eraser 12 is inserted in the container 2., the member 5, in addition to preventing the leads 3 from falling out of the container, prevents rubbed-off fragments of the eraser from getting into the sensitive mechanism of the propelling pencil.

The sleeve 10 can also be made open at both ends and be fixed to the container 2. In this case, if it is required to replenish the supply of leads 3, it will only be necessary to screw out the eraser 12 and to fill in the leads in the container through the aperture of the fixed sleeve 10.

Instead of being used in propelling pencils, the eraser 12 provided with the screw-thread plate 13 could also be used in tubular eraser holders having internal screwthreads.

I claim:

1. A propelling pencil comprising a tubular body having a substantially cylindrical bore therein, a lead container formed in a forward portion of said bore for holding writing leads, a cylindrical sleeve member insertable and frictionally held in a rearward portion of said bore beyond said container, said sleeve member being closed at one end and having a longitudinal cavity open toward the other end, the inner and outer faces of said sleeve member being substantially parallel with each other and with said bore, an elongated eraser member inserted into and having a diameter smaller than that of said cavity, one of said members having a thread while the other one of said members has thread-engaging means operatively engaging said thread, whereby said eraser member can be projected from or retracted into said cavity by manually rotating it, and wherein said sleeve member can be inserted into said bore either with the free end of said eraser member protruding from said cavity at the rearward end of the pencil, or in a reverse position, with said free end hidden within the bore in the proximity of said container, and a dished closing member insertable into said bore between said container and said sleeve member, said dished member comprising a loosely attached handle member having a widened portion at its end protruding through an aperture into said dished member and a flattened portion at its other end remote from said dished member, permitting reciprocation of said handle member with respect to said dished member without being detached therefrom, said handle member serving to remove said dished member from within said bore for replenishing said contain-er with leads upon removing said sleeve member from said bore and holding the pencil with said container upwards so that said handle member can drop by action of gravity.

- 2. -A pencil as set forth in claim 1, wherein said body is provided with inwardly projecting holding means for frictionally securing both said sleeve member and said dished member when inserted into said bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Manuel Aug. 13, 1918 Page Apr. 23, 1929 Dysart Sept. 13, 1938 Gaimari Apr. 23, 1940 Hasselquist Feb. 6, 1945 Norlin Ian. 17, 1950 

1. A PROPELLING PENCIL COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL BORE THEREIN, A LEAD CONTAINER FORMED IN A FORWARD PORTION OF SAID BORE FOR HOLDING WRITING LEADS, A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE MEMBER INSERTABLE AND FRICTIONALLY HELD IN A REARWARD PORTION OF SAID BORE BEYOND SAID CONTAINER, SAID SLEEVE MEMBER BEING CLOSED AT ONE END AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CAVITY OPEN TOWARD THE OTHER END, THE INNER AND OUTER FACES OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH SAID BORE, AN ELONGATED ERASER MEMBER INSERTED INTO AND HAVING A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THAT OF SAID CAVITY, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A THREAD WHILE THE OTHER ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAS THREAD-ENGAGING MEANS OPERATIVELY ENGAGING SAID THREAD, WHEREBY SAID ERASER MEMBER CAN BE PROJECTED FROM OR RETRACTED INTO SAID CAVITY BY MANUALLY ROTATING IT, AND WHEREIN SAID SLEEVE MEMBER CAN BE INSERTED INTO SAID BORE EITHER WITH THE FREE END OF SAID ERASER MEMBER PROTRUDING FROM SAID CAVITY AT THE REARWARD END OF THE PENCIL, OR IN A REVERSE POSITION, WITH SAID FREE END HIDDEN WITHIN THE BORE IN THE PROXIMITY OF SAID CONTAINER, AND A DISHED CLOSING MEMBER INSERTABLE INTO SAID BORE BETWEEN SAID CONTAINER AND SAID SLEEVE MEMBER, SAID DISHED MEMBER COMPRISING A LOOSELY ATTACHED HANDLE MEMBER HAVING A WIDENED PORTION AT ITS END PROTRUDING THROUGH AN APERTURE INTO SAID DISHED MEMBER AND A FLATTENED PORTION AT ITS OTHER END REMOTE FROM SAID DISHED MEMBER, PERMITTING RECIPROCATION OF SAID HANDLE MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISHED MEMBER WITHOUT BEING DETACHED THEREFROM, SAID HANDLE MEMBER SERVING TO REMOVE SAID DISHED MEMBER FROM WITHIN SAID BORE FOR REPLENISHING SAID CONTAINER WITH LEADS UPON REMOVING SAID SLEEVE MEMBER FROM SAID BORE AND HOLDING THE PENCIL WITH SAID CONTAINER UPWARDS SO THAT SAID HANDLE MEMBER CAN DROP BY ACTION OF GRAVITY. 